By KRISTEL SATUMBAGA
Members of the Philippine triathlon team are counting on international training and exposure as they target a podium finish at the 2026 Asian Games in Japan this September.
The athletes, who are shortlisted for the quadrennial meet, are currently undergoing a high-performance training camps across Spain, Indonesia, China and Portugal in hopes of making good in the continental showpiece.
Kira Ellis, in particular, has been training in Portugal since last May.
Ellis and Raven Alcoseba are being groomed to vie in the women’s individual event, with one of them likely to partner with veteran Kim Mangrobang in the mixed relay.
On the men’s side, Fer Casares and Aki Lorbes are being eyed in the individual race, with either athlete expected to join Kim Remolino in the mixed relay.
The Filipino triathletes have been dominating the Southeast Asian region — including a three-gold, two silver-, one-bronze haul in last year’s SEA Games in Thailand.
The team, however, is yet to make an impact in the Asian Games that has been dominated by the Japanese, Kazakhs, Chinese and Koreans.
The Nationals’ best individual finish was a seventh place from Claire Adorna in the 2014 Incheon and Kim Mangrobang in 2018 Jakarta edition.
The mixed relay teams of Adorna, Mangrobang, Nikko Huelgas and John Chicano placed sixth also in the 2014 edition, as well as Adorna, Chicano, Mangrobang and Mark Anthony Hosana in the 2018 meet.
The Nationals also seek to eclipse their previous performance in the 2022 edition held in China where Casares and Remolino finished 10th and 13th, respectively, in the men’s individual, and Mangrobang and Alcoseba stumbled into 13th and 16th in the women’s side.
The mixed relay team of Alcoseba, Casares, Mangrobang and Matthew Hermosa, however, came in seventh.
